Excitement before the festival of the country
In mid-March, veteran Hoang Truong Son in residential group 5, Ha Dong ward (Hanoi) is busy "going through every alley, knocking on every door" in residential areas to distribute ballots. The work seems simple but requires meticulousness and caution. "This is a big day, related to the rights and obligations of each person, so we cannot miss anyone" - he said. Regardless of age, he said that participating in election work makes him seem young again: "I have participated in the election for more than 10 times, each time there are innovations, each time I witness changes in the country. That's why we don't mind anything, we even feel younger and healthier".
Mr. Son, along with residential group officials, veterans, women, and youth, cleaned up, mobilized to hang flags and banners. Before the election day, the faces of each citizen shone with joy and excitement.
The atmosphere of preparation for the 16th National Assembly Election Day and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term is spreading throughout localities across the country. From the crowded streets of major cities to the highland villages, from bustling industrial parks to remote island communes, everywhere can clearly feel the excitement, responsibility and belief of the people before a special political event - the festival of the whole nation.
On many streets in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City... banners, slogans, and national flags are hung solemnly, creating a solemn but also very bustling atmosphere. Residential areas and residential groups organize meetings to disseminate information about elections, guiding voters to understand their rights and obligations.
In many localities, the government and mass organizations have completed the final preparations, from facilities, voter lists to security and safety assurance plans for the election day. These seemingly small tasks show careful preparation for an event of great significance.
A resident group official in Hoang Mai district (Hanoi) shared: "Voting in the National Assembly is the right and responsibility of every citizen. We always try to ensure that all voters are fully informed, so that everyone sees themselves as part of the great festival of the country.
In many places, the atmosphere of preparation for election day has become a daily story. People discuss candidates, their expectations for the new National Assembly term.
For many people, each election brings a special feeling. That is the moment when every citizen, wherever they are, can send their will and aspirations into each ballot.
Late afternoon, when the closing whistle sounded at Trang Due Industrial Park (Hai Phong), thousands of workers left the factory. Motorbikes lined up on the road leading to the boarding house area.
In that crowd, there was Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh, a worker at an electronics factory. Ms. Hanh was from Nghe An, came to Hai Phong to work for many years. These days, stories about elections often appear in workers' dinners.
We go to work far from home but still get to participate in the election. The company also arranges shifts for workers to vote fully," she said. In the boarding house where Ms. Hanh lives, many young workers participate in the election for the first time. They learn about candidates through newspapers and social networks.
We hope to choose delegates who understand the lives of workers and care more about workers," Ms. Hanh shared.
The atmosphere of preparation for election day is also spreading in industrial parks. Many businesses actively adjust production plans so that workers have time to participate in voting. For millions of workers, the ballot is not only a citizen's right but also hope for a better future.
Notably, in some places, early elections are due to special conditions, the atmosphere becomes even more serious. On March 8, on Sinh Ton Island - the voting unit No. 7 of the Truong Sa special zone, the Island Command organized the election of National Assembly deputies of the 16th term and People's Council deputies at all levels for the 2026 - 2031 term. This is one of the 20 polling stations of the Truong Sa special zone to organize early elections 1 week before the mainland; Truong Sa island is organized on March 15 with the whole country.
From early morning, the polling area on Sinh Ton Island was brilliant with flags, flowers, banners, and slogans to celebrate election day. The list of voters and summary biographies of candidates were fully posted, helping voters conveniently monitor, study and select people who are worthy of representing the will and aspirations of the People.
In the joyful atmosphere of the country festival, from very early morning many families on the island were present at the voting area to exercise their rights and citizens' obligations.
Ms. Nguyen Le Chi shared: "Being able to participate in elections in the sacred sea and islands of the Fatherland is a great honor for every citizen here. We are always clearly aware of our rights and responsibilities, choosing worthy delegates to represent the will and aspirations of the People.
The atmosphere at the polling station was orderly and serious. Each voter carefully studied the list of candidates before voting, showing concern and responsibility for their choice.
Corporal Le Hai Dang - a soldier working at Sinh Ton Island - said: "Being able to exercise my citizenship right on the frontline island of the Fatherland is a great pride for me. I have carefully studied the list of candidates to choose those who are truly worthy, contributing to building an increasingly developed country.
As for the Tho Chau special zone, An Giang province, early elections have also taken place. Mr. Tran Quoc Giang - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tho Chau special zone, told Lao Dong Newspaper reporters: "There are 5 polling areas, of which 4 areas belong to people's houses and hamlet headquarters, People's Committee headquarters of the special zone, and 1 polling area at Regiment 152 (including armed forces units) with a total of more than 2,000 voters participating.
Mr. Giang also added that, due to the conditions on remote islands where people live by fishing and doing business far away, the Special Zone People's Committee has directed and closely coordinated forces, especially promoting the role of the Police, hamlet leaders, and People's Self-Management Groups to "go to each alley, knock on each house, and scout each object".
In harmony with the atmosphere of early elections in the Tho Chau special zone, officers and soldiers on Hon Tu island also exercised their civil rights. The election team brought auxiliary ballot boxes to Hon Tu island for officers and soldiers on duty on the island to vote according to regulations. Due to stormy conditions and separation from polling areas, the force had to move small ships carrying ballot boxes to the place.
Digital age elections
A highlight at the election of National Assembly Deputies of the 16th term and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term this time is the application of technology for propaganda and mobilization of people to exercise their rights and citizens' obligations.
Hanoi is one of the localities with the largest number of voters in the country with over 6 million voters, nearly 4100 polling stations. Therefore, the application of technology in election work has been deployed early.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi City introduces the special communication product "Digital map informing about the election of National Assembly deputies of the 16th term and deputies of the People's Council of Hanoi City for the 2026 - 2031 term".
As an intuitive, modern, and friendly communication product - Digital maps are built on a digital technology platform, fully integrating and systematizing important information related to the election, helping voters in the Capital easily look up information anytime, anywhere. In particular, this map is installed directly on the iHanoi application, just activate it and people have enough information such as indications of the area of the constituency according to the administrative boundary map of the Capital; lists, information, biographies of candidates at each constituency; news about voter contact conferences, information about the candidate's action program; online links to the Electronic Information Page of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi City and press and television agencies reporting on election work...
At the dormitory of Hanoi National University, student Nguyen Minh Anh is discussing the upcoming election with friends. This is the first time Minh Anh has participated in the election. "Before, I only saw elections on TV. Now that I am a voter, the feeling is very different" - Minh Anh said - "It is even more special that we young people have access to information through digital platforms, especially digital maps, to help voters conveniently register and know their voting locations easily. For this election, technology has become a very effective and efficient tool.
The application of artificial intelligence is also quickly applied in the information and propaganda stage. In Dai Thanh commune, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung - Vice Chairman of the Commune Fatherland Front Committee, Secretary of the Commune Youth Union said that the Commune Youth Union makes AI videos to propagate and guide union members, youth and people to grasp information about the People's Council elections at all levels.
Or in the suburban commune of Hanoi, Quang Minh commune, propaganda videos using artificial intelligence (AI) are being increased in use. On the social networking platforms of Quang Minh commune, many short videos, visual graphics and propaganda clips about elections are continuously posted, attracting the attention of a large number of officials, union members, youth and people. A noteworthy point is that many communication products are built with the support of artificial intelligence (AI), helping the content become vivid, accessible and suitable for the trend of information reception in the digital age. Propaganda videos focus on introducing the basic contents of the law on elections such as the rights and obligations of voters, delegate standards, voting procedures as well as the important political significance of the election. Thanks to the application of AI in image design, video editing and automatic voice reading, communication products not only ensure content accuracy but also have attractive and easy-to-understand forms.
The commune leader said: "Previously, to complete a propaganda video, many manual processing steps were needed. Now, thanks to digital tools that support image design, clip editing and voice reading, content production has become faster but still ensures accuracy and vividness.
Not only Hanoi, localities across the country are also strongly using technology for election work. Promoting the application of technology and digitization in election work is becoming an inevitable direction. These innovations not only help reduce the burden on the organizational apparatus but also improve transparency, accuracy and convenience for people.
Previously, one of the most time-consuming stages of election work was the compilation and review of voter lists. This work was often done manually, based on many different data sources, so errors or delays were inevitable.
Digitizing population data and connecting to the administrative management system has made this process more convenient. Through electronic information portals, mobile applications and online platforms, people can easily find information about elections, candidate lists as well as voting locations.
This is especially meaningful for young voters – those who are familiar with the digital environment and have a habit of accessing information through the internet.
Publicizing information on digital platforms also contributes to improving the transparency of the election process, helping people have conditions to learn more carefully before making their choices.
The application of technology in election work is not only of technical significance but also reflects a step forward in management thinking. When data is managed centrally, information is shared quickly and transparently, and people's trust in the management system is also strengthened.
And that is the profound meaning of innovating and digitizing election work - not only to serve a political event, but also to contribute to building a modern governance, for the people and for the future of the country.
Safety on election day is a key task
Each election of National Assembly Deputies and People's Councils at all levels is an important political event of the country, an opportunity for voters to exercise their right to mastery through their votes. To ensure that democratic day takes place solemnly, safely and in accordance with the law, security and order assurance work is always put first.
According to the direction of the Government, the Ministry of Public Security, the police force, army, militia and self-defense forces, and many other functional forces have strengthened the implementation of security and order assurance plans. In many localities, election protection plans have been developed in detail, from provincial to commune levels, even to each polling area.
Patrol, control, and safety protection plans for polling stations are deployed synchronously. Populated areas, key areas, or areas at risk of complexities are all reviewed and carefully assessed to have appropriate handling measures.
Along with that, propaganda and mobilization work to raise people's awareness of law compliance is also focused on. When people understand the meaning of the election and their responsibilities, they will become an important force contributing to maintaining stability for the common festival of the country.
A noteworthy point in ensuring election security today is proactively preventing risks early and remotely. In the context of strong social network development, misinformation and fake news can spread quickly, affecting voters' psychology.
Before the election day, Ho Chi Minh City Police organized the Launching Ceremony and put into operation the Cyber Security Operations Center, serving the work of ensuring security and safety for the election.
The Network Security Operations Center is organized according to a centralized network security monitoring and response model, including departments: Operations Command, Network Security Operations, Incident Response and Operational Staff. The system applies many modern technology platforms, allowing monitoring and tracking of the entire operation of network systems and information systems serving elections in real time.
Through this operating mechanism, functional forces can detect early, promptly warn and coordinate to handle network attack risks, acts of spreading false information, bad and toxic information related to election work, and at the same time analyze and synthesize information flows in cyberspace to advise on solutions to ensure safety for the information system serving the election.
According to the plan, the Center will maintain a 24/7 duty regime throughout the peak period of the election, with the participation of specialized forces on information technology and information security. Monitoring, warning, and incident response plans have been built synchronously, ready to be deployed immediately when situations arise.
In Hanoi, functional forces have proactively developed scenarios to handle possible situations, from ensuring security and order to fire prevention and fighting.
The election day is an important political event, so we determine that we must prepare carefully to ensure that all activities take place safely and smoothly," a leader of Hanoi Police informed.
The Hanoi Department of Health also issued plans to each area to fully prepare medical plans to ensure service at polling stations. If any situations arise, the medical force will promptly handle them to ensure the safety of voters.
However, no matter how carefully the plans are prepared, the human factor is still the decisive factor. The sense of responsibility of officials on duty, the awareness of law compliance of the people and the solidarity of the community are the foundation to ensure the success of the election day.
Election day is an opportunity for each citizen to express their right to mastery. But for that right to be fully exercised, a safe, stable and transparent environment is needed.
Maintaining peace for election day is therefore not only the task of the police, military or authorities at all levels, but also the common responsibility of the whole society.
When each ballot is put into the ballot box in order, safety and trust, it is also the clearest proof of the strength of the great national unity bloc and for an increasingly strong democracy.
Everything is ready for the election day, which is truly the festival of the country.
